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CHEMICAL LITERATURE__<&_0_~e e n ~ m ~ o n~ e rna_ < -

Vol. 13, No. 3 3aGROWTHThere has been much concern recently with thesize and growth of the chemical literature. Indeed,practically no meeting of the Division of ChemicalLiterature has been without several members using thephrase "the exponential growth" or "proliferation ofthe chemical literature".Let there be no question about it, this growth isreal. The number of abstracts in Chemical Abstractshas doubled in the past seven years. The membershipof the American Chemical Society has increased by approximately30% in the past seven years. The expenditurefor research and development in the United Stateshas more than doubled in the past seven years.In view of this growth picture, one would expectat least a parallel growth in the number of people employedin handling and solving the literature problem.In 1954, there were approximately 900 members of theDivision of Chemical Literature; there now is approximately1000, a 10% growth. The Special Libraries Association,as well as its Science-Technology Division,similarly show a 10% growth over the same period.It is hard to establish a real significance to thedifference between the growth rate of the chemicalliterature and the lack of growth of those assigned tohandle and to solve the literature problem. As we studythis difference, I am certain that all of us will raisethe same questions. But none of us can be sure of ouranswers as we lack good data. We really do not knowthe number of chemists and chemical engineers whosespecialization is chemical documentation. We are atleast certain that all are not members of the Division ofChemical Literature. We are not even certain that manychemists and chemical engineers involved in chemicaldocumentation assignments know that they are literaturechemists.Thus, this difference in growth may be a deviationfrom fact or an approximation to fact. Either way,however, each of us has a selling job to do. It is to ouradvantage to enlarge the Division of Chemical Literatureto include all chemists and chemical engineerswith an interest or assignment in chemical documentation.It should be to their advantage to be numberedamong us in our common interests and objectives. Dr.James G. VanOot, duPont Company, Wilmington, Delaware,is chairman of the Membership Committee. Heneeds your help either for committee work or for bringingto his attention potential members of the Division ofChemical Literature.Herman Skolnik

Fall 1961REPORT OF TRANSLATIONS COMMITTEEHistoryThe Committee on Translation Pools was appointedby Dr. M. G. Mellon in July 1956 to "cooperatewith the Special Libraries Association on its translationproject. Its main task was to publicize the SLA TranslationsCenter among chemists, thus leading to wideruse of the Center and an increase in contributions toits holdings.During the past several years, both the SLATranslations Center and the more recent translationscenter at OTS have received frequent and quite thoroughcoverage in scientific and technical journals, so thatthe Committee saw no need for further publicity duringthis period. Its activities were therefore mainly of a"watchdog" nature, and various criticisms and suggestionsrelative to translation pool services were made.A description of present translation pools and recommendationsfor improved and expanded services werepresented in the paper "Translation Pools - Ideal andReality" at the St. Louis ACS Meeting in March 1961.Future PlansTo give a more accurate indication of the Committee'sinterests, its name was changed from Committeeon Translation Pools to Translations Committee in1960. Among the areas of present interest to the Committeeare the following:1. Improvement and expansion of translation pools.As covered in the paper referred to above.2. Cover-to-cover translations of journals.An attempt should be made to speed up thepublication schedules of presently translated journals.The need for additional translations (particularly fromJapanese and Chinese) should be investigated. Thepossibility of ACS sponsorship of existing or new translationsshould be considered.Comments and suggestions on the above pointsor on any other translation matters are invited. Also,there is room on the Committee for several additionalmembers, and volunteers will be welcomed.Kurt Gingold, ChairmanTranslations Committee1937 West Main StreetStamford, Connecticut